Percy The Latte Boy
by KCReal
Summary: Percy's life focused on the first three letters of the alphabet. A for Anxiety. B for Basketball. C for Coffee Shop. But maybe, just maybe, Anxiety could be replaced by the name of a certain blonde.
1. Fallin For Ya Literally

**AN: Hey y'all! This is my first attempt at a non-one-shot story in a long time. Hopefully it turns out alright xD I'm hoping to take a rather unique perspective on the whole barista Percabeth AU thing. Leave a review please! Knowing what y'all think help keeps me motivated and can also aid me in my ideas.**

**Minor Side Note: When I describe how drinks are made and such, I'm drawing on my own experience in a small coffee shop. So if there's any baristas out there who are like, "That's not how you make coffee" or whatever, just know, this is based on how I was taught. Don't flame me for it. Thanks :) **

**Now, onto the fluff.**

Percy hated coffee. Hated it. With a passion. But, when a family friend offers a job with no job interview, to a seventeen-year-old, said seventeen-year-old is loathe to refuse. Which is how Percy found himself working in a café. Making coffee. Which he hated. With a passion.

None of his friend understood it. He didn't understand it. He could make any coffee drink, do crazy latte art, and immediately memorize a customer's favorite drink. But he couldn't actually bring himself to like coffee. Perhaps that was just more proof of Frank's point he was a walking paradox.

Running a hand through his messy black hair, the teenager sighed as he leaned on the counter by the register. It was an incredibly slow day, right in the deadest of dead times for the small café. Midafternoon on a Wednesday, weather perfect for anything outdoors in the summer. Looking out the window of the café, he could see parents and their kids playing in the park and knew the last thing they would come in for was a hot cup of coffee.

Every once in a while, someone would walk by the café and Percy would perk up, hoping to any higher power that possibly existed someone would walk through that door and he would have something to do. But… nope. After about the tenth person walked by, Percy, sitting on a stool, laid his head on the counter and sighed, staring square at his black and orange Converse. This was going nowhere.

He'd been working for the past three hours, overlapping shifts with his coworker Leo for the possible lunch rush. Leo left at 2 and had been gone for an hour, leaving Percy alone. There wasn't even any clean-up. _How can it be this dead? It's never this dead._

Head still on the counter, he dimly registered the sound of a bell tinkling by his ear. Slowly raising his head, Percy's eyes widened as he realized a customer was standing at the counter. Perking up immediately, Percy tried for a suave smile before a terrible realization occurred to him. When he had perked up, he had leaned back. But… that wasn't the worst of it. It wasn't like he just leaned back.

Percy had leaned too far back.

And now he was falling.

Lovely.

His only thought as he went down was a brief registering of the customer's curly blonde hair. And then the pain hit as he landed on his backside, his back crashing into a cabinet behind him. Groaning, he blinked a few times to catch his bearings before looking up at the customer. A small smirk played across his lips before the ever-cool teen asked, "So, how may I help you?"

Percy's face flushed as he saw the customer trying not to laugh. Gradually standing up, the now slightly sore teen shook out his limbs, making sure they were all functioning. "No, no, please, laugh at the poor barista boy's expense. No one has _ever_ been a klutz before."

The customer shook her head, eyes lighting with a bit of concern, but a whole lot of mirth. "That… you sure you can help me? Can't even help yourself off a stool."

Percy rolled his eyes, "Well, aren't you a wise girl. Thanks for noticing, Captain Obvious" Then he stopped and flushed again, realizing he had broken one of the biggest rules of dealing with a customer: never use sarcasm or insult a customer.

Smirking, the customer retorted, "Someone's in a mood."

Resisting the urge to respond mockingly, Percy did his best to arrange his facial features in a more polite and apologetic manner, "Sorry, I just fell on my butt, so not necessarily thinking straight. How may I help you?"

Rolling her eyes, the blonde glanced at the menu before responding, "Medium Irish Cream latte please."

Percy nodded, writing down the order and punching it into the cash register. Without even looking at the total, he quickly responded, "Four dollars," which was soon followed by the ever repetitive process of the American currency system.

The blonde teen took a dollar and slipped it in the tip jar on the counter, "For your medical bills after that fall."

Percy rolled his eyes before his lips twitched slightly, threatening to turn into a sheepish grin. Quickly attempting to hide the smile from his customer, Percy spun around on his heel and began working on the drink. A medium cup was pulled from the stack and twirled through the air before being caught. With practiced ease, Percy slid a step to his right and began pulling a double shot of espresso. A thought crossed his mind and he called over his shoulder, "Is this for here or to go?"

The blonde opened her mouth, starting to answer, "To…" She trailed off, tilting her head for a moment, "Do you have wifi?"

Percy pasued, turning off the espresso machine as the two shot glasses were filled with a perfect double shot. He turned to look at the customer dead on, definitely not noticing the curve of her cheeks or how her hair was braided down the middle. Clicking his tongue, Percy smirked, "What d'ya mean, 'do I have wifi'? It's a first world café. Of course we have wifi."

The customer's stormy grey eyes rolled before sighing, "I mean, may I have the password for it?"

Percy's lips threatened to do the sheepish grin. Definitely not unnaturally, Percy turned his back to the customer again, focusing his attention, as well as he could, on the five pumps of syrup for the drink, "Yeah, I'll bring it over to you when I bring your drink out. I'm assuming you're drinking this in… here…?" His words trailed off as he glanced over his shoulder again, only to see her already finding a table. He also definitely didn't notice how nice she looked in that particular pair of soccer pants.

_That's a customer, you idiot. _

Honestly though, this wasn't the first time something like this had happened. He knew it was a stereotype, but girls liked their coffee and he was one of two teenage guys working in the café. He noticed, heck, he attempted flirting on occasion. She wasn't the first cute blonde to walk through that door, and she likely wouldn't be the last.

Taking a deep breath, Percy focused on finishing up the Irish Cream latte. Under his breath, Percy began muttering the instructions on how to pour steamed milk to himself. "Alright, tilt the cup, start low with the pour, move high. Circles time. And push closer now. Make the circle of foam. Draw the line. And a heart. Bam. Perfect!" And that is when his anxiety decided to rev its engine and roar through him full steam ahead.

_What if she takes the heart the wrong way? What if she thinks I'm hitting on her? I don't wanna be that guy, who just hits on any cute girl who walks through. Frick. She's gonna think I'm a creep. And then I'll never get her business again. And then Demeter will kick my butt. Cause she'll find out on the security camera. Frick. Frick. Frick. Oh! I know. Stir the coffee. Mess up the latte art. Wait, but what if she likes the latte art? What if she won't come back because I had messy latte art? Or none at all? What if she's that type of coffee snob…_

Percy realized that he had been standing, staring at the latte art for quite a bit. _Well. Suck it up. Maybe she won't take the lid off and you'll be safe. Maybe._

Percy attached a lid to the cup before finding a slip of paper with the wifi password in the register and bringing them both out to the customer's table. "One medium Irish Cream latte and one wifi password." He placed them both on the table before walking back behind the counter, both to escape a possible rush of anxiety again if she took off the lid and also because he had to go clean up the counter and dishes he used. At least, the second one was the excuse he gave himself to avoid the truth of the first reason.

He moved so quickly to return behind the counter, he failed to hear the customer's word of thanks or the way her eyes followed him across the café. However, once done with cleaning, Percy had to admit he definitely did notice the way the sun streamed through the windows and reflected off her, adding a bit of sun to those stormy grey eyes.


	2. Frank-ly my dear

**AN: Welp, here y'all go. Thanks for all the positive feedback on the first chapter! My goal was to get this out in a week, and uh… you can see how that turned out x) but hey! Better late than never. Also, y'all, show my girlfriend some love. She's been really motivating and encouraging about me writing this, so I really would've probably procrastinated without her constant bugging. Anyway, enough sap, onto the story:**

Percy's chin rested on his arms, his eyes fixated on the timepiece of salvation mounted on the wall. With each rhythmic tick, his freedom from this oppressive café was closer. At five o'clock, Calypso would walk through that door and he would be saved from this prison. Okay, maybe a slight exaggeration, but he wouldn't have to sit inside, bored out of his mind, anymore.

_4:59. Sweet. Almost there…_

The blonde who Percy had embarrased himself in front of left around 4:30. Not that he was paying attention. Why would anyone think that? His own thoughts betraying him, Percy felt his cheeks begin to heat up slightly at the thought of the blonde. Again, Percy tried to push down the thoughts, reasoning with himself.

_She probably didn't even notice you. Plus, it's not like she's any different from the other girls who come around this café. She's never even been in here before. Why the heck would she come back? She's probably just checking out a café for some quick work or whatever._

And yet… there was that small part of him that hoped she'd come back. Not that he'd ever admit that to himself, but it was there. Plus, he had to admit: she had a nice butt. Percy's mom had raised him to respect women, to always take no as a no, and to never wolf-whistle or catcall a lady. It was ingrained in his being to never act like his jerk ex-stepdad. But, Percy was still a teenage guy. Teenage guys notice girls. Especially girls with confidence. Espeically girls with confidence and nice butts.

Percy shook his head, trying to erase his thoughts. He really needed to get out of here and clear his mind. _Calypso, where are you…_

As the old saying goes, speak of the devil and he will appear. Or, in this case, think of your coworker and she will appear to free your from your prison. Calypso walked through the door, her dark eyes contrasting with the pink eye liner she chose for today.

Percy raised his eyebrow, the trademark smirk crossing his face, "You're late."

Calypso rolled her eyes, "You're one to talk, Jackson. When was the last time you arrived to a shift on time?"

Percy opened his mouth. Then shut it. Reopened it. Shut it again. Opened it. Shut it and looked down at his Converse. However, instead of out of boredom, this time, it was out of embarrassment.

Calypso smirked, "And that's what I thought. Anyway, I'm late by…" She trailed off and looked up at the clock, "Seriously?! You called me late? It's five o'clock. I'm right on time!"

Percy, seeing the chance for sass, suddenly lost all embarrasment, "It's five o'clock and 24 seconds. You. Are. Late."

Calypso smacked Percy upside the head, "Shut up, Jackson. Just get your butt out of here. Go see your boyfriend or whatever."

Percy did his previous open-and-shut routine, "He's not my boyfriend!"

Calypso waved her hand dismissively, "Yes, yes I know. It's just not normal for two straight guys to be as close as you two are." Her smirk crossed her face again, "I just like to tease you about it."

Percy rolled his eyes, before snapping back, "I thought only Leo was the one who received your…" He trailed off for emphasis, "teasing." And with that final comment, Percy sprinted out the door, avoiding the look of murder Calypso was no doubt sending his way.

Chuckling to himself, Percy shook his head before walking across the parking lot. His best friend, the one Calypso referred to as his boyfriend, worked a couple doors down as a delivery boy. The heat of the summer sun beat down on Percy's back and he was grateful when he could step inside the air-conditioned restaurant. His nostrils were hit by the smell of Chinese food and he grinned, the scent bringing back many happy memories.

The owner of the restaurant looked up from behind the counter and smiled when she saw Percy, "Ah, for Fai, I presume?"

Percy nodded, "Yes, ma'am."

"FAI! PERCY'S HERE!" Grandma Zhang shouted into the kitchen with a force that should not have come from the body of such a petie woman. Then she turned and smiled at Percy, "Now, Percy, have you been eating enough? You're looking thin."

Percy smiled at Grandma Zhang, "You know me. I'm always eating."

Grandma Zhang shook her head, "No, no. You've been eating those American hamburgers and pizzas. Not good food that you need. Stay here until I come back. No going off with Fai until I've brought you some real food."

Percy opened his mouth to protest, "Grandma! You d-" Percy shut up when he saw Grandma Zhang's gaze. "Um… yes ma'am."

Grandma Zhang nodded, a slight smile crossing her face before she walked into the kitchen.

Sighing, Percy leaned against the counter and pulled a fidget spinner out of his pocket. He used to tap his fingers a lot, but since finding one of these things, fingertapping more or less disappeared. He knew it was a bit of a childish toy and the fad had long passed, but just messing around with the fidget spinner helped him to focus on something other than his anxious thoughts. A distraction that he definitely needed at all times.

Percy's eyes focused in on the spinning blades of the fidget spinner. Blue, as most of his prized possessions were, the spinner reminded Percy of an artist's renedition of a hurricane when spun. He grinned, thinking of the ocean, his mind quickly jumping from thought to thought. The ocean was soon connected to swimming. Swimming to happy memories. Happy memories to his mom. His mom to how he met-

"Yo, Percy! What's up, bae?" A booming voice echoed through the café.

Percy's eyes and mouth lit up as his best friend, Frank Zhang, lumbered out of the kitchen. Without question, Zhang was one of the most amazing genetic freaks of all time. Born into a Chinese family, he somehow towered over Percy's already tall frame. Percy and Frank hit each other with a quick bro-handshake-hug that all guys somehow instinctively knew.

"Hey, Zhang, you ready to get your butt beat in 2K today?" Percy's eyes glinted with mischief, his voice filled with friendly teasing.

Frank grinned, shaking his head, "Nah, bro. You know Imma crush you, easy."

Percy bumped his elbow into Frank's side, "Only way you crush me is if you sit on me."

Frank let out a chuckle before bumping his shoulder into Percy, "All day, any day."

The two of them pushed back and forth, laughing and grinning until Grandma Zhang returned back to the counter. "Fai! No roughhousing in the restaurant, you know better." Grandma Zhang's fierce expression and tone reversed almost instantaneously as she turned to hand Percy food, "Here you are, Percy. Eat up and have fun. Just make sure to keep Fai in line. I do not want him getting into any trouble."

Percy and Frank kept their faces as straight as possible, "Yes ma'am" echoing from their voice simultaneously. Keeping their heads slightly bowed, the two of them walked out the door and into the hot summer air again. Once they turned the corner, away from the sight of Grandma Zhang, the two of them broke down laughing. Frank leaned against a light pole, a hand on his stomach as his deep belly laughs joined Percy's higher chuckles. Percy had literally collapsed onto the sidewalk, laying face-up as he tried to regain his breath.

"I… I…" Percy's laughs continued to fight against his attempt at a coherent sentence, "She… She thinks that…" Another round of hysterical laughter.

Frank's laughing continued with Percy, knowing exactly what Percy was laughing about, "I… I know!"

The two of them kept laughing, Frank barely keeping himself standing against the pole and Percy rolling on the sidewalk in laughter. Once the laughter finally died down, Percy smirked at Frank from his position on the ground, "Now let's get you home, Zhang. I gotta make sure you don't become a troublemaker."

Unfortunately, considering the irony of the statement, the two best friends quickly descended back into fits of laughter. Undoubtedly, Percy was not the responsible one and Frank was not the troublemaker. Everyone knew this. Everyone but Grandma Zhang. For all her wisdom and perceptiveness, she just had a soft spot for Percy and Percy was cool with that. It got him food, and that was, without question, the quickest way to his good side.

Once the laughter had actually, finally, subsided, the two bros worked their way to Frank's house. It was your typical middle-class suburban home, complete with a basketball hoop in the driveway. A basketball hoop that would soon be occupied by Percy and Frank's trash talk, the sound of the ball hitting pavement, and the ultimately satisfying sound of net swishes.

Percy and Frank dashed upstairs to Frank's room, quickly shutting the door. The two high schoolers quickly changed. Both of them had clothes, specifically basketball shorts and jerseys, at each other's house based on the simple fact that they spent so much time together. Yes, they were basically like middle school girls. Shut up. They got that a lot. But who cares? They're close friends. And that's what matters.

A quick change later and they were down on the driveway again. Percy dressed in an old school Chicago Bulls Jimmy Butler jersey and black shorts. Jimmy Butler because Percy loved his attitude, his game, and most importantly his defense. That's what Percy loved about the game. Everyone's obssessed with shooting, scoring, and cool dunks. Don't get him wrong. He loved all that too. But a lockdown defender? Yeah, Percy loved that.

Frank, of course, was dressed in his Hakeem Olajuwan jersey and a pair of red shorts. Hakeem, cause, in Frank's mind, there wasn't a better big man player to emulate his game after. The Asian power forward loved Olajuwan and his classic Dream Shake. Frank wasn't as big on defense as Percy was, but man, he could respect a player who averaged 3 blocks for his career.

Percy smirked as the two bounced the ball back and forth to each other, "Aight, Zhang. Kobe?"

Zhang nodded, "Yessir, you know it."

Percy bounce passed the ball into Zhang's hands, "Aight, check up. You're gonna down."

Zhang shook his head, "Pretty sure I won last one, but whatever you say, Jackson."

Percy winked, "Love ya bro."

"Love ya too, bro. Still going to kick your butt."

The ABC's of Percy Jackson. Anxiety and coffee, they were huge parts of his life. But his one true love? The one where he could relax? Laugh with his friend, mess around, not feel judged? The one place where anxiety disappeared? Basketball. The second letter of his alphabet. All his cares faded when he felt that leather in his hands and it was just him, the rim, and the man trying to stop the two from meeting. God, he loved this game.

**AN: Couple things here just to note and so you understand my thought process. 1. I always thought a Frank/Percy bromance would be better canonically than Jason/Percy. It just makes more sense from a time spent together perspective and I think their personalities just work together. I get why everyone loves Jason/Percy, and I don't mind it myself. I just think Frank/Percy works together. Plus, best brOTP name ever: Prank. 2. I'm a huge basketball nut (honestly sports nut) so if all the basketball talk goes straight over your heads, that's cool. I get it. It's mainly just for character. In case y'all haven't noticed, this isn't going to be a straight up normal barista fic. Going for a more indepth attempt at all this, if that makes sense. Cause us baristas have lives outside just giving the tired some caffiene xD Anyway, hope y'all liked it! Leave a review, follow/favorite, all that good stuff. I'll catch ya next time!**


	3. Losing My Marbles

**AN: Hey y'all! I'm back with another chapter. This time I got it on the week mark! Aren't ya proud? xD Just some light slow-burn fluff this time around, so it's a bit of a shorter one. Maybe hit some more Prank bromance next time, maybe some more fluff. Depnding how I feel, I might throw an Annabeth pov in. Idk, we'll see. Also, just minor side note, this chapter deals a little bit more with the anxiety that Percy deals with, so here's a very minor trigger warning just in case. It's not explicit at all, but I felt myself just grow a little anxious writing. So, just the heads up. Anyway, here y'all are!**

Percy sighed to himself. Wednesday afternoon. Again. Time was passing about as quickly as that last bit of honey out of the jar. Which he knew about. And also hated to deal with because… well… when a customer really wants tea with honey, but the honey just won't pour fast enough… yeah, you learn to hate that last bit of honey. He stared at the clock, watching the second hand slowly tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.

Laying his head on the counter, Percy mentally tried to remember his cleaning list. However… once he went down the list, he suddenly got that burst of energy that every student whoever thought they forgot an assignment gets. Jumping out of his seat, Percy dashed around the café like a madman, checking everything off the top of his head that could use a quick clean.

_Tables wiped. Espresso machine brushed off. Grinders brushed off. Sink water clean. Soap added. Syrup bottle cleared of any excess syrup. Aight. I think that's everything. Wait, did I wipe the tables?_

Percy began reaching for the bleach water rag again, when the blonde from the week before walked through the door. She smiled slightly when her eyes rested on him (which he definitely did not get a warm fuzzy feeling from) before a smirk crossed her face.

"On your own two feet this time, I see."

Percy's own lips twitched with the effort to not smirk back and reply with a sassy comeback. Luckily, the teen had tons of self-control. Ah who was he kidding? He had zero self-control, "Well, I'm sure you'd just love for me to fall for you, wouldn't you?"

The blonde rolled her eyes, "Someone's feeling a bit extra confident today."

Shrugging, Percy allowed the smirk to grow bigger across his face, "What can I say? I'm 'on my own two feet this time, you see.'" _Luckily… that would be rather embarrassing if I fell again… Dang, I hope I don't fall again… Feet, please work with me today. If I fall again, I don't know what I'd do…_ Percy's jaw clenched slightly under his smirk before he cleared his face and gave his best customer service smile, "But anyway, how may I help you today?"

The blonde tilted her head ever so slightly, her grey eyes flashing with an analytical look that made Percy feel like a computer program. Not that he noticed her eyes, nor was he so boyish to notice how a cute girl's head tilted. A small smile crossed the blonde's face again before she answered, "I think that Irish Cream Latte again would be lovely. Could you maybe half the syrup this time though? I like to taste my coffee."

Making a note in his mind to half the syrup, Percy rang her up at the register, repeating the same money exchange as last week. "For here again?"

The blonde simply nodded before turning and walki-

_Oh. Tight jeans this week. Well then…_ Percy felt the blush rush through his skull and he was so glad that the blonde had walked away from the counter, not noticing his blush… hopefully. What he failed to notice, as he turned to make the drink, was the small smirk the blonde allowed across her face as she sat down at her chosen table.

Attempting to clear his head, Percy ran through the steps of the latte. _Pull the shots. Medium, so go with two. Bam. Bam. Niiiice color there, Perce. You the man… also, took you long enough. Finally getting that color consistently. Pretty sure Calpyso had it on point her first day. Why you gotta be so slow at everything… _Percy's teeth ground against themselves as he shut his eyes for a quick second. _Breathe, Perce, breathe._

His hands shook slightly as he poured the shots into the cup. His movements were slower, less confident than last week. Everything moved methodically and robotically as he made the drink, none of the flair that normally accompanied his coffee making. No latte art this time either. Didn't want to make the wrong impression on the customer.

As quickly, yet politely as he could, Percy brought the latte out to where the customer sat with her computer. He put the coffee drink down on the dark wooden table before quickly spinning on his heel and making his way towards the counter. However, he had to freeze and turn back to the customer when she called out to him, "Hey! Might seem weird, but are you doing alright?"

Percy took a moment before answer, his trademark anxiety hiding smirk spreading across his face, "My butt's doing just fine, if that's where you were staring."

The customer's stormy grey eyes rolled, "Whatever you say." With that, she turned back to her laptop and continued doing whatever she was doing before.

Peryc quickly spun around, breaths coming slightly shallow. He needed to get back behind the counter. Quickly occupying himself with cleaning the dishes, Percy tried to focus his thoughts away from his anxiety spiral. However, it felt like trying to lasso a hurricane. Or, more accurately, it was exactly like that feeling where you try to pick up a huge handful of marbles, but there's too many marbles for the hand and so at least one goes rolling away, and when you chase after it, you drop a couple and then you finally find the marble and try to pick it up and two more fall out of your hand while you pick up the first original marble.

Finally sitting back down at the register counter, Percy dried his hands off on a paper towel and shot it into the trash can, murmuring a quick "Kobe!" to himself out of instinct. His hand wormed its way into the pocket of his black jeans, pulling out a blue fidget spinner.

Yes, it was childish. Yes, it was a fad from years ago, but Percy enjoyed playing with it. It gave him something to focus his attention on and ignore the thought coursing through his head. It wasn't much, but it helped. Like using a second hand to pick up the marbles you kept losing.

Breathing slowly, or trying to, Percy focused on the spinning of the blades for a while, just letting himself calm down. He looked up at one point, to see the customer still there and a brief smile crossed his face when he noticed her biting the side of her lip as she focused on something intently. _Well, that's pretty cute. Dang it. That's a customer. Don't you even think about it. But it still is cute. Yeah, but customer. But cute. But customer. But cute. But cus- oh, maybe stop staring._

Blushing again, Percy dropped his gaze to the fidget spinner, totally missing the smile/smirk the blonde customer gave him when she saw him drop his head. He also missed the tip she dropped in his jar when he went into the back to find a broom and sweep the café about an hour later. However, he definitely did not miss the sight of her curly blonde hair reflecting the sun and bouncing with each step her jean clad legs took back into the parking lot.

**AN: Hope y'all enjoyed! Favorite, follow, drop a review, all that jazz. Gotta say, I love the reviews. Catch y'all next week!**


	4. Night Time Hooping

**AN: So, I got no excuse y'all. I'm sorry. Just, didn't upload, didn't write. That's on me. I'll try to be more consistent over the next coming weeks. Also, I know some of y'all are gonna hate the slow burn type nature that this story has taken so far, but I promise it will speed up eventually. I just really wanted to establish Percy as his own character and flesh him out as much as I could. Anyway, here you go!**

Percy had slowly realized the pattern. It had taken him about a month, but he'd realized it. Every Wednesday afternoon, right at three o'clock, without fail, the blonde would walk through that door. She'd order the same exact drink. She'd have a few teasing words, accompanied by that cute smirk, and then she'd sit with her laptop, sipping her drink and working on… something. Percy actually didn't know what. He couldn't imagine what she could be working on. It was summer. Surely not… extra homework.

_Oh no. She's a nerd isn't she. Crap, Perce, and here you thought she was going to like you. But when she realizes how dumb you are, she won't like you. If she's smart enough, or obsessed with school enough, to be doing school in the middle of summer… you've got no chance._

Percy, in every single sense of the word, was a jock. His closet was full of sports shirts and jerseys. Heck, he didn't know if even owned a non-sports related shirt. If he did, he never wore it and probably forgot about it completely. Right now even, laying on his bed, he was dressed in a Toronto Raptors "We The North" t-shirt. He wasn't even a Raptors fan. It was sports related and that was all that mattered.

He breathed basketball. No, that was an understatement. It was more like, when he was born, the medicine the doctors gave his mom somehow changed into basketball fluids when he was feeding. He needed basketball. It lived in his veins. It gave him life. He was obsessed. Percy's hands twitched and clenched, anticipating the feel of leather and his ears wiggled a bit, hoping for the sound of ball on pavement, the swish of the net, the squeaking of sneakers in a gym.

But even with his love for basketball, he couldn't get her out of his head. He didn't know why. He didn't know what made her different from all the girls who came into the café. Maybe it was the way she held eye-contact. Maybe it was her confidence. Maybe it was the fact that she subtly made herself look good. Maybe it was the consistency. The never complaining about the drink. He didn't know, but he knew he didn't want to mess it up. Well, he knew he had messed it up so far. He hadn't said anything and he knew girls wanted guys taking the first action. Maybe she thought he wasn't worth it. But why'd she keep coming in then? To taunt him? To let him know that she knew she was out of his league? Percy's breath caught and his eyes snapped open, now unable to sleep.

Eyes staring unblinking at the alarm clock, Percy's mouth twitched. _Almost time. _The teen's green eyes were changed to a completely different shade in the red light, a unique mix of red and sea-green, resembling something close to rich soil. When the clock switched from 1:59 AM to 2:00 AM, Percy's entire face lit up in a grin that could have powered Manhattan on its own. With a quick kip-up from his bed, Percy's feet hit the floor.

Percy's hands moved at a speed most humans will never achieve in their lifetime. In fact, the only time hands have ever moved at this speed are in two scenarios. One, when a sibling is trying to snatch a toy, piece of clothing, or scrap of food from another sibling or two, when someone is doing adult things with his or her boyfriend and the said boyfriend is so close to… well, if you're an adult, you know. But for the sake of those innocent reading this fic, that act shall not be mentioned in detail. Regardless, Percy's hands moved fast to tie his shoes, throw on a hoodie, and grab his most treasured possession: a dark blue basketball, weathered and worn from years of loving use and hard concrete.

Was it two in the morning? Yes. Yes it was.

Did Percy intend on going to the local park and shooting hoops? Yes, yes he did.

Was it probably dumb? Yes, yes it was.

Did it help soothe his anxiety and relax him? Yes, yes it did.

Was he doing this in order to stop his mind racing about the beautiful blonde who visited his café? He refused to comment.

Percy's mind was a racetrack of overthinking. Every action he took, every thought he had, he second guessed himself and imagined what he could do better. The thoughts would race and race, each jockeying for position to dominate Percy's anxiety until they all would crash like the Daytona 500 and Percy was scared out of his mind whenever that happened. Last time the mental race of anxiety had happened, Percy had found himself standing on the ledge of his apartment complex. His mom had talked him down. The trigger for that? He hadn't made a customer's drink perfectly earlier in the day.

He couldn't control it. He couldn't stop it. All he could was not think of it. That's where basketball came in. On the court, he was different. When he had a ball in his hand, a rim in front of him, and his instincts taking over, Percy's anxiety and thoughts went out the window. He couldn't explain it. He tried many times to explain it to Frank with varying degrees of success. All he knew was that he would feel the leather, hear the _swoosh_, and smell the sweat coming off him and he would be at peace.

That's why he found himself here. _Half-Blood Heights_. The park near his home, a park that had apparently brought peace to the city decades ago, before he was born. Heck, before his mom was born. He passed the statue of the man who founded the park, Chiron Brunner. Chiron had helped to calm tensions during the height of the Civil Rights Movement. Half-Blood Heights was named after him. Half-blood for his nickname as a child and Heights for what he achieved during his life.

Percy smiled and slid his hand across the wheel of the bronze wheelchair, as he always did when he entered the park. Then his eyes locked on his love. The most beautiful sight in the world. A solo basketball hoop lit by the one lamp in the entire park of Half-Blood Heights. It was beautiful. The white net, the orange rim, the clear glass backboard. Percy's hands twitched with excitement and he jogged over to the court. Soon the air was filled with the sound of ball on pavement.

_Dribble right. Cross left. Spin. Stop. Pivot. Jab step. Fadeaway! _The swish of the ball through the net sounded, seeming to echo in the private and quiet night. Percy grabbed the ball quickly and reset on the left wing of the three point line. _Left hand drive. Kyrie hesitation. Up and under. _The ball spun against the backboard and into the net again. And on and on it went, Percy's mind emptying of all thoughts except basketball… well… occasionally, the thought of the blonde from his café entered his mind, but it was quickly erased by a step-back mid range or a high flying tomhawk dunk.

An hour later, Percy froze as he heard a loud "HEY!" and the ball squirted from his hands, rolling to the feet of a police officer.

Tall, broad shouldered, fingers already on his baton, the officer squinted at Percy, "I thought I told you last time to not come out here and shoot at this ungodly hour."

Percy blinked slowly, then raised his eyebrow, "Oh shut it, Beckendorf. We both know you won't arrest me."

Charles Beckendorf laughed and walked over to dap up Percy. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know me too well, Jackson. How goes basketball?"

Percy shrugged, "It goes. Missing more shots than I'd like."

Beckendorf rolled his eyes, "Dude, I've known you for the past two years. One time you shot 19/20 in a game and still said that. Seriously, how is it?"

Percy shook his head, "Haven't really been paying attention."

Beckendorf's face changed to a comforting small smile, "Ah. One of those nights?"

Percy nodded slowly, not saying anything. His eyes now seemed incredibly focused on his basketball shoes and the ground under them.

Beckendorf placed a hand on Percy's shoulders, "Hey, Jackson. I don't know what's got you going tonight, but I do know what helps me."

Percy tilted his head, a questioning eyebrow raised at Beckendorf.

The officer picked up the ball. "Beating delinquets who insist on playing basketball at 3am at their own game."

Percy's mouth twitched into a smile and he snatched the ball from his former teammate. "You're on…" Percy's habit of sass took over, "_Charlie."_

Beckendorf's eyes narrowed, reminding Percy exactly why he made a good officer, "Oh you're so dead now, Jackson."

**AN: Next chapter might be an Annabeth POV actually. Idk, haven't decided yet. Lmk what you think of me possibly writing that side. Anyway! Hope you enjoyed. Leave a review, follow, favorite, all that jazz. Catch y'all next week. Hopefully. If I stay motivated. Heh. *innocence* **


	5. Cold Explosion

**AN: Hey y'all! It only took me 12 days to write this? Not fourteen? So… improvement, I guess, technically xD Anyway! Annabeth's POV and I hope y'all enjoy it!**

Annabeth's eyes fluttered as a cacophony of sounds rushed through her ear drums. Groaning, she rubbed her temples before rolling over and grabbing her phone to shut off the alarm. But then she remembered she had not set her alarm last night and the noise did not stop when she grabbed her phone. _Oh brother._ Or rather, in the case of Annabeth Chase, "Oh brother…s."

It was Matthew and Bobby. Of course they were being loud. Why shouldn't they be loud at 7:00 in the morning? That is rhetorical, by the way. Annabeth knew exactly why they were loud. They were boys. They were young boys. And young boys did not understand the concept of a word librarians loved: quiet.

Deciding she would not be able to get back to sleep, the teenage blonde rolled out of her bed and onto her floor. The shock of hitting the albeit carpeted floor was enough to get her heart pumping and she slowly stood up, looking, for all intents and purposes, still close to sleep. That is when the toilet exploded. At least, Annabeth assumed the toilet exploded. She heard the tell-tale sound of shattering vitreous clay and the rush of water. Do not ask why she was used to that sound. That is a story for another day.

Needless to say, that sound for sure awoke the blonde who swung open her door and dashed out of her room. However, in her tiredness, she had failed to realize that perhaps the water had escaped the bathroom. Now she was, without question or doubt, wide awake. Not in the way a child on Christmas is awake, but more in the way a lioness wakes up when she sees hyenas circling her cubs. Annabeth was awake and she was angry.

"MATTHEW AND ROBERT CHASE! WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL HAPPENED HERE?!"

Summoned by their sister's ferocious roar, the twin boys scampered out of the bathroom and, smartly, stared at their soaked feet, not meeting Annabeth's gaze.

Sidebar: Annabeth had a very particular pair of eyes. They were grey. However, before anyone makes the wrong assumptions, they were not grey in the way a black and white film is grey, filled with nostalgia. Nor were they grey in the way a dustbunny is grey, dead and empty of actual substance. They were not even grey in the way butt-hugging sweatpants are grey, full of promise and a fun time. No, Annabeth's grey eyes were certainly not any of those. Annabeth's grey eyes were grey in the way clouds are grey during the calm before the storm. Her eyes were grey in the way the wind is grey when it begins picking up, swirling leaves, breezing through one's hair and making it an untameable mess. Those were her eyes. Grey, like the calm before the storm. Those were her eyes when she was happy, content, or relaxed. However, Annabeth was none of those. She was _livid_.

There is a popular saying that goes "if looks could kill". Well, the only reason the first word is attached to that phrase is because no one had ever looked into Annabeth Chase's eyes when she felt like killing. If one did, perhaps that phrase would lose that first word. This is all to say, Annabeth's eyes no longer resembled the calm before the storm. They _were_ the storm. Her eyes raged, like a tornado across the Midwestern Prairie. One could hear the thunder, taste the lightning, smell the rain spattering against conrete. Her eyes were a stormy grey. Her brothers knew this look by heart and they knew, in all their young boy wisdom, to avoid those eyes at all costs. If they didn't, there would be hell to pay and Hades himself would take pity on them for the pain they had suffered at the eyes of Annabeth Chase.

With a very small voice, the slightly braver of the boys hesitantly began answering the question, "We just wanted to see if something could explode in water."

Annabeth blinked very slowly. She took a deep breath in. She let out said deep breath. She blinked again. She opened her mouth and quietly, threateningly, like a lioness stalking her prey, asked, "And why, pray tell, did you decide to use the toilet?"

The other brother, feeding off the first brother's bravery responded, in a very small voice, "It already had water in it… we wouldn't have to fill it up."

It is probably about this time that the reader is likely questioning where the parents of these three siblings would be found. Most have probably assumed the parents should have immediately run to the location of the exploding toilet and helped to a) calm Annabeth down and b) clean up the mess. However, it should be noted that said parents were currently preoccupied outside of the house together, as they had done every Wednesday morning for the past two months.

See, the Chase household had moved to the city of Ecclesia from the big city of San Francisco, California. Frederick Chase, tired of a long commute, had taken up a new teaching post at the local university and had brought his family with him. Because of their short stay so far in Ecclesia, in an effort to learn more about their new home, Frederick and Susan Chase left early Wednesday morning every week and explored the city, finding out about the small niche restaurants, parks, and assorted other fun family bonding type experiences.

This was why Annabeth had found herself here, without fail, every single Wednesday afternoon.** Demeter's Drinks**. It was straight to the point and blunt, something Annabeth relished. Originally, Annabeth had used this café as an escape from her incredibly chaotic home in order to focus in on her architectural designs, but lately she'd been equally excited to talk to the barista boy who was there every single week. There was something about him that made her curious. She could see it in his eyes, the way his hands twisted, the gait of his walk. It was not all the time, but every so often, something in his manner would belie the confident, no, not just confident… the _cocky_ words leaving his mouth.

Today, however, she did not care who served her coffee. Today, she needed the escape. Practically kicking open the café door, she strode briskly, and put her hands on the counter. "I need my usual. But add a couple extra shots. Today has been a day." That is when she noticed him. _Oh._ _Black jeans today. That- okay yup._

Up to this point, Annabeth had only seen the barista boy in blue jeans. Everyone wore blue jeans, nothing special. But there was something about the black. Annabeth did not mind them at all. It also did not help her speeding up heart that they were ripped. Jagged lines crossed the front of his knees, up his thighs. Was that a little bit of boxer she could see peeking out of one of the rips?

Of course, Annabeth did not let any of her thoughts cross her face. She had long since trained herself to only show the emotions she wanted people to see. For the most part, that meant a strong, independent woman who did not need no man. Add the z-snap for punctuation. Then the boy spoke, and Annabeth felt herself working a bit harder to keep her face in check.

"Yes ma'am. Four dollars." Nothing special, just a polite response. No sassy comment, no judgement, just acceptance and politeness. Annabeth was honestly stunned. Who knew the sarcasitc little know it all could keep his voice in check when she needed peace and quiet. When she looked at his eyes, she could not stop the small frown from leaking through. She had expected the mischevious light or the slight warmth she felt when he thought she did not catch him staring. What she did not expect to see was tiredness and more than a little resignation.

The barista boy tilted his head at Annabeth and asked, "Ma'am, something wrong?"

Annabeth realized she had been caught staring and the frown had leaked through. Her brain moved at a ridiculous speed and she responded convincingly, "Yes, I asked for extra shots? And yet the price is the same?"

The barista boy shrugged, "Yeah, no, I got that. Just figured I'd cover the extra shots since it's 'been a day.'" He used a pair of sassy finger quotes here, resembling a little bit more of the boy to which she had become accustomed.

She let a small smile light twitch across her face, "Oh. Thank you." She paid the four dollars, leaving a one dollar tip in the jar, and walked to her normal seat in the café. What the boy did not know was that she purposely positioned herself at a table where she could see him, at all times, in the reflection of the window. This is how she always knew when he was staring at her. This was also how she knew something was wrong. She did not know what happened or why it was this way, but the barista boy no longer stared her way. He focused on the drink, he brought it out, and went back behind the counter without a second glance. Normally, she noticed him dragging his eyes from her or checking out her butt, but none of that today. It worried her a little, but she shrugged it off and focused on her architecture.

Unfortunately, this meant that Annabeth Chase, for all her wisdom and expertise in analyzing human beings, completely missed the broken look that appeared in Perseus Jackson's eyes after she left the café, a look that very few people ever got to see.

**AN: Sorry for the cliffhanger. Like honestly. There just isn't a way to resolve the chapter without switching POVs and I didn't want to do that in the chapter. Guess you'll just have to stay tuned til next time! Anyway, thanks for all the reviews last time! Those really helped keep me encouraged and motivated. So, as always, please favorite/follow/leave a review. Y'all don't realize how much they help. Maybe it's just my need for positive reinforcement, but it does help! xD See y'all next time!**


	6. Shoot Your Shot

**AN: I'm so sorry this took so long! Thanks for the support while I was gone. I hit a massive wall of writer's block and then my own anxiety acted up and I started panicking about not releasing the "perfect" chapter, but I finally was able to work through it. Massive extra thanks to my girlfriend for encouraging and pushing me through it. Anyway, hope you enjoy!**

"I thought she was different!" Percy's voice rang out loudly, between breaths of air. In front of him, Frank lazily dribbled a basketball between his hands. A plant of his foot and Frank was off to the right. Percy shuffled, keeping step with his 6'9" friend's long strides. Stomping a foot down suddenly, Frank launched and began his shot, a fadeaway from the right high post. Percy's arms reached up to the contest the shot, but the combination of length and fade meant the ball sailed over Percy's outstretched fingertips.

_CLANG! SWISH!_

One bounce on the rim and the ball fell in. Frank grabbed the ball and brought it back to the three point line. "14 all, Perce."

Percy nodded, checking the ball back to Frank who began slowly dribbling again.

A sigh left Percy's lips before he tried to explain his outburst. "I just… she always came in and she'd smile or smirk or she'd just make me feel like a person and not a worker, y'know?"

Frank nodded slowly, crossing left and dribbling towards the paint. Percy's hand shot out for the steal, but Frank saw it coming and shifted so Percy's hand hit his hip. Frank then began slowly dribbling backwards towards the rim, using his wide back as a shield to stop any more incoming steal attempts.

"And even if she got sarcastic, I thought it was just cause I got that way too."

Frank backed his way to the basket. Percy placed a hand on his opponent's lower back to slow the advance and to feel for any sudden shift in movement. Both players bent their knees for more power and began a bit of a push against each other as they slowly fought for position.

"Not that I should've been sarcastic with a customer, but I'm an idiot like that. Y'know, never listening to the rules and just… not holding my tongue."

Without warning, Frank shifted his hip right and then spun back to the left, going for a turnaround jumper from the left corner. However, he and Percy had been playing basketball with and against each other for six years and Percy knew his friend's favorite move. Jumping in anticipation, Percy felt his fingers brush against the ball just enough to adjust the spin as it left Frank's hand.

_BONK! CLANK! _The ball hit the backboard before hitting the rim and spinning away. Percy sprinted after the ball, snagging the rebound and dribbling back out to the three point line. His turn on offense.

"Except for days where I don't want to speak…"

Percy crossed left, spun right, faked his shot before driving past Frank who got caught by the fake. Leaping off his right foot, Percy's six foot five frame flew through the air.

_SLAM!_ With one hand, Percy slammed the ball home and hung on the rim for an extra second, sticking his tongue out at Frank. "15-14."

Frank rolled his eyes, "Good fake, Perce." They checked up again and Percy began dribbling, looking for an opening.

"It's just that I thought she'd be the type of person to always be gracious to the person behind the counter. And I don't know… I guess I'm just dumb for getting a stupid little crush on a random girl who came into the café."

Percy jab stepped before pushing off the jabbed foot to attempt a stepback three point shot. It rattled around the rim before hitting the ground. Frank grabbed the ball and took it back to the three point line. Percy switched back to defense.

"I know I've had them before, I just thought that… maybe… this time… it could be different?"

Frank didn't even pretend to try anything fancy and drove straight to the rim, dunking immediately. Percy blinked, chuckling. "Okay, yeah, you got me." They checked up again and Frank this time took his time, slowly meandering down the left side.

"She just seemed different from everyone else who came in and wanted coffee. Even with her sass, she was polite. And she always gave me a look… with those eyes. Like she could read past me, y'know? Which… scared me but also… I thought it was cool."

Frank pulled up for another left side corner shot. This time it released just past Percy's outstretched hand.

_SWISH! _Nothing but net. Frank smirked a little. "16-15."

"Very few people know about…" Percy gestured to his head. "That side of me. And I'm able to hide it from most everybody, only you and my Mom really know the extent. But she just… picked me apart with her eyes."

Frank nodded slowly before attempting a crossover Percy saw coming a mile away. His hand flashed out and he snatched the ball, immediately sprinting towards the rim and laying it in. "16 all."

Frank shook his head, smiling. "Still gotta work on that ball handle, I guess."

Percy grinned, "Ain't never gonna be good enough to blow past me twice in a row, Zhang."

Percy drove right and jumped, Frank matching the leap. What Frank could not match, however, was the 360 degree mid air spin that Percy used to get around the big man. While still in the air, Percy's hand reached under the net and with a flick of the wrist, the ball spun off the backboard and sunk through the net.

A confident smirk crossed Percy's face as Frank shook his head sighing, "I will _never_ understand how you're able to do that."

Percy checked up the ball and started sprinting with it towards the rim. Frank followed quickly, sliding his feet to match the pace of Percy's steps. With a quick plant and a dribble between the legs, Percy's momentum completely stopped. Frank, to put it lightly, did not see it coming. He slid past Percy, stumbling over his feet to try and recover. Percy calmly shot the pull-up mid-range jumper.

_SWISH_.

Percy grinned innocently, "18 all. Oh, and, I so got you on that shot."

Frank rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Anyway, best part of the girl?"

Percy paused, not quite expecting the question, "Um… well… Her eyes, Frank. They were so unique. This stormy grey. Not a dull grey, but a grey like… steel."

The two checked the ball up, Frank nodding to the answer, choosing not to answer aloud and let Percy speak when he wanted to. Percy dribbled the ball, his face contorted in a frown.

"We're going into our senior year and I just feel like such an idiot for harboring a… crush. I should be more mature than to fall for a random girl who walks into the café."

Frank slashed a hand for the ball. Percy crossed it behind his back to the left before driving down that side. Frank slid his feet quickly to match Percy's strides. Percy picked the ball up. One step. Two steps. Left hand started to lay the ball up against the backboard. Then a rush of wind passed by Percy's ear and six years of training kicked in. He ducked.

Luckily, that training did kick in. The duck saved him from Frank Zhang's 6'9", 255 lb massive frame flying through the air to slap the basketball against the backboard.

Momentary pause to quickly remember Sir Isaac Newton's Third Law of Motion: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This means whatever may occur to one object, the reverse of it shall also occur with equal force. This law would apply in multiple circumstances to the current basketball game between one Percy Jackson and one Frank Zhang. However, the one to focus on is the action of Frank Zhang blocking the basketball against the backboard.

According to the Third Law of Motion, when Frank slapped the ball with all the force his outstretched arm could muster, that energy had to go somewhere. As the glass backboard of a basketball hoop does not exactly absorb the energy of the ball, the ball was repelled and sent soaring across the driveway.

The ball flew through the air, landing and rolling across the street. This would cause a car driving down the neighborhood street to need to stop and honk loudly, a middle aged woman shaking her fist in the general direction of the boys. Said boys, however, barely even registered the car as Percy was currently sprawled across the ground and Frank was just coming down from the block, his shout of braggadocious joy echoing in the neighborhood.

"YOU GOT BLOCKED, SON!" Frank grinned, reaching his hand out to help Percy back up on his feet.

Percy grumbled something under his breath about an unfair height advantage, but accepted the help and got on his feet, dusting himself off. "Dang it, Zhang, you almost killed me with that one."

Frank's smile grew, "Risk of the trade, bro."

Percy rolled his eyes, "Oh shut up. I don't remember ever seeing 'Risk of Dying to Chinese Giant' in the basketball rulebook."

"Two words: Yao. Ming."

Percy groaned and grabbed the basketball from across the street. He absentmindendly dribbled it back up to the rim, not really remembering what he had been ranting to Frank about until Frank completely blindsided him with a question.

"What made her so different?"

Percy's hands froze and the ball rolled into the grass. "Wha… what do you mean?"

Frank shrugged, "I don't know, man. It's just…" Bending over, Frank picked up the basketball and passed it back to Percy, "You've dealt with rude customers before and you've had girls lose interest in you before without you even batting an eye. What happened this time?"

Percy shook his head, dribbling the ball to help him think, "Besides the fact I was gonna ask for her number? Not mu-"

Frank's jaw dropped as he heard the confession, "You were gonna what now?!"

Percy opened his mouth to respond, but Frank quickly cut him off.

"Perseus Jackson? The man who spends ten minutes debating over his entire closet, only to choose one of the same seven shirts? The one who can't breathe if a teacher so much as begins a word with a p? You worked up the courage to ask a girl out?"

Percy, feeling very much attacked and yet strangely loved in this situation, did what anyone whose brain was fighting between the two feelings would do: he nodded.

Frank's expressions instantaneously changed from shock to an encouraging smile, "She must be one heck of a woman for you to be able to decide on that."

A blush rose like a sunrise over a mountain on Percy's face. It moved slow, but heated his cheeks up very quickly. He looked down at his shoes, an orange pair of Converse All-Star BB Pro Flames that unfortunately matched his cheeks.

Frank grabbed his attention by asking the next serious question that again blindsided Percy, "So why didn't you ask for it?"

Percy paused before attempting to brush aside the question and shrugged, "She was having a bad day. Didn't want to stress her out."

Frank pointedly closed his mouth, refusing to talk, knowing Percy wasn't saying everything.

Percy let the silence sit for a couple minutes before his need for sound overwhelmed his desire to keep his issues to himself. "I chickened out, okay? I'm an idiot who can't even keep himself on task. She was quieter than normal and said her day wasn't going the best and so I started thinking about how I could help and I gave her an extra shot and I'm just… gahhhh I'm such an idiot. Should've gone for it, but now I never will. You know me. I get one shot and then my brain starts thinking and thinking and thi- Oomph!"

Frank had walked towards Percy while the anxious teen ranted and now, the Chinese giant grabbed his best friend in a massive bear hug, "Breaths, Percy. Deep ones. Now."

Percy's voice slowly died down, still ranting, but quieter and slower. Eventually it went totally silent and Frank felt his friend relax in the embrace. A small voice soon whispered out from between Frank's arms, "Thanks."

It wasn't much, but it was enough for Frank to know that Percy would be alright. That's all he ever needed to know.

Releasing the hug, Frank dropped the conversation and moved on to more important things, "Alright, Perce, check up. 18 all. Your ball. I still gotta win."

Percy took one last deep breath before his mouth twitched into an interesting combination of childish glee and testosterone fueled competition, "Oh you can certainly try, Frank." The battle of the titans commenced once more.

**AN: Okay so, I know two things are going to likely happen when reading this chapter. 1. If you're not into basketball, you probably got extremely lost, but I hope I described things semi-well enough that you could picture some of it. I know the playing took up a huge aspect of the chapter, but I've been wanting to write something like that for a while and I enjoyed it immensely. 2. A lot of you have been clamoring for more Percabeth chapters. I hear you, I see you, I understand you. However, I want to take this slow. I like establishing characters in their own right and not just tossing them together and have them date immediately. I'll mainly write from Percy's pov with an occasional Annabeth, but I don't actually know how many chapters will have them interacting in the near future. I know that sucks for a lot of you, but please understand that I just want to make the characters as relatable as possible by establishing their strengths, weaknesses, etc. etc. Thanks again for the long wait and the support. Hope to see you soon!**


	7. Summer Daze

**AN: Well… No excuses for being so late on this one. In case y'all hadn't noticed, this fic will not be updated on a regular schedule. I love writing it, I just… lack motivation a lot of times. Percy's own love of basketball is inspired by my own and with the NBA back, I've been extremely distracted by investing myself in that again. Apologies. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this one. I split it up into multiple parts to move the story a long. Just short snippets to develop character. Little bit of flirting, little bit of friendship, little bit of introducing other characters. Just a hopefully pretty wholesome and fun chapter. Enjoy!**

**T-Minus Four Weeks Until School: In Which Percy Realizes Annabeth Is A Nerd - Percy**

Percy glanced at the clock. _Three O'Clock. _Against his wishes and desires, his heartbeat picked up and a small smile started crossing his face. _Don't catch feelings. Don't catch fe—_ The blonde girl walked through the door, this time dressed in a long sleeve crop top and denim shorts. _Of course she had to dress like that._ He gritted his teeth a little, trying not to smile too much at her appearance.

Walking up to the counter, her face grew into a smile as she greeted him simply, "Hey." Percy's lips twitched when he heard her voice. _Dang it, fool. You caught feelings._

With a bit of practiced ease, the humorous defense mechanism took over and he grinned, maybe a bit too widely, "Hey. Same old, same old?"

The blonde rolled her eyes a bit, "I do not see the point in changing a routine that is already perfect."

Percy's eyebrow slowly crept up his head, "So… yes?" _Why does she have to say it _

With a sigh, a smile, and a small nod, she accquiesed, "That would be a yes."

The repetitve actions of monetary exchange soon followed and Percy's eyes trailed after her as she found her table. _Don't stare. You'll look like a creep. Don't be a creep. Creeps are bad. Bad is not good. She'll only like you if you're good. Don't stare_. Spinning on his chair, Percy gritted his teeth and began working, hoping to clear the overthinking from his brain.

_Medium cup, got it. Shot glasses. Pull the shots. Hot water over them into the shot glasses. Both shots into the cup. Syrup. Syrup snagged. Syrup pumped into the shots. Milk, got the milk. Into the steamer, not too much. Oh was that too much? Crap. Maybe a little. Steam the milk. Oh it really was too much. Pour the milk. Art time. _

In honor of summer and the heat, Percy did his best to design a sun. In the middle was a circle of milk. Using a small toothpick, he dragged some of the foam out in each direction, hoping to replicate a sun. It turned out pretty decently and he was pretty happy with it.

"Same old, same old," he announced, a cheeky grin crossing his face as he placed the drink to the side of the girl's arm. He took a glance at her computer screen. It was covered in… before he could even think, he heard the question escaping his lips, "Are those… blueprints?"

_OH GOSH YOU IDIOT! Why would you even start saying something like that? Now she thinks you're staring at her computer screen. She's gonna be so creeped out by that and never come back._ His jaw clenched as his arm wormed its way into his pocket, touching the fidget spinner still there. The smooth, circular blades gave him a small semblance of calm, but nothing that truly helped his mind. _Wait… is she actually answering?_

The girl's face had spread into a massive grin and apparently she was ranting about something. "Yes they are! They are the blueprints of a building I am designing! I am huge into architecture and I just cannot wait to have the opportunity to actually build something substantial…" She continued on and on, rambling about details and specifications while Percy stood there, his eyes glazing over slightly at all the terms and phrases she used that were way outside his league. _Like she is, in general. Everyone's outside your league, Jackson._

When she finished, the girl blushed a little and looked up into Percy's eyes. His almost immediately skipped away and he felt his own blush rising up in his cheeks from the gaze of… something… from the stormy-eyed blonde in front of him. _Think of something to say, you idiot!_

"Wow… That's… increidble," Percy rubbed the back of his head, "To be honest… I am almost completely lost, but I can see you're super into it. Keep it up!" He offered a double thumbs up before walking behind the counter. When he got back to the counter, he beelined for the kitchen that was out of view of the blonde girl. He immediately hit the wall with his forehead, groaning. _That was so cheesy. What even. You're so dumb for that, Jackson. If she wasn't falling for you before, she definitely never will now. How could you be such an idiot? AGH!_

That day, he waited for her to leave before he emerged from the back, under the pretense of cleaning. That was the excuse he gave himself. However, because he wasn't around, he failed to notice the small look of hope followed by hurt when the girl didn't see him on her way out.

**T-Minus Three Weeks Until School: In Which They Finally Learn Names - Annabeth**

"C'mon Annabeth! You have to try a different coffee shop besides Demeter's Drinks! I promise there are other coffee shops in this city."

Annabeth shook her head, "I'm sorry, Rachel. We are going to Demeter's."

Her redheaded friend groaned, "Ughhh… Why are you so effing stubborn?"

Rolling her eyes, Annabeth shrugged, "1. Not stubborn. I just know what I want. 2. I have told you before, if you are going to swear, just swear. Do not try to cover it up."

Rachel smirked, "And I've told you before, I don't swear. It's not ladylike."

Annabeth snorted. Her friend was not the definition of ladylike, not at all. On a good day, when Rachel wanted to dress up, she wore non-stained, non-ripped jeans and a clean hoodie. Those days were rare. Today was not one of those days. The redhead was currently dressed in very ripped and very paint splattered jeans with a formerly normal hoodie. Said hoodie had also been ripped.

"Rach, the day you are ladylike is the day I go goth. It is never going to happen."

Rachel stuck her tongue out, "Oh shut up. _Beth_."

"Okay you know what! I will take you right back home and you can talk to your father about how you got suspended from _summer school_."

"It was a misunderstanding!"

Annabeth rolled her eyes and continued driving the car to Demeter's Drinks. She found the barista boy to be pretty good at his job and she loved the way he made the Irish Cream latte. Normally she would not have brought Rachel to her private coffee shop, but iffy circumstances had arisen.

She did not know all the details, nor did she want to. All she knew was that, on her way to said coffee shop, she had gotten a call from Rachel to pick her up from the perpatory academy. Something about a janitor's closet, $200 dollars, and suspension. Annabeth chose not to ask questions.

When they arrived, Annabeth stepped out of the car quickly, grabbing her backpack out of the backseat. Then she practically marched double-step into the café. Rachel, not ready for the quickness from the methodical Annabeth, jogged after her, "Gosh, Annabeth! Why are you moving so…" Rachel trailed off.

Annabeth sighed, brushing a curl that had fallen onto her face back into the rest of them. Rachel had noticed the barista boy. Rachel apparently found said boy cute.

The barista boy tilted his head, a small smile crossing his lips when he noticed Annabeth, but obviously a little confused at the redhead who had joined her. Annabeth, for whatever reason, felt the compulsion to explain the presence of another person during their private time.

_Not that it was like that!_ Annabeth had gotten used to a certain pattern and she hated her schedule being interrupted. She needed routine. She liked having the café to just herself and the quiet, sarcastic barista boy.

Walking up to the counter, she smiled, "My friend, Rachel. We decided on an impromptu girls' day."

Something crossed the boy's sea-green eyes. It was quick, but Annabeth picked up a small sign of… hurt? _That cannot be right._ But as quick as it was there, it was gone. Annabeth thought maybe she was projecting her own desire for the routine onto the boy.

The boy's lip twitched, but he nodded to Rachel, "Percy. Welcome to Demeter's Drinks. What can I do for you?"

Rachel smiled, "Hey Percy. Nice to meet you." Her eyes glanced up to the menu, slightly glazing over, "Uh… Why don't you ask Annabeth first? I'll just be a moment."

Annabeth's heart skipped a beat. _Percy_. _It fits. Somehow. _She smiled a little at the thought of his name before restructuring her face to her typical neutral expression. It skipped again when she heard the barista boy, no… _Percy, _respond.

"Don't need to. Irish Cream latte, medium. Half the syrup."

Annabeth was momentarily heartwarmed. That is when she noticed the look Rachel gave her. It was not just a look. It was _**The Look**_. Everyone knows the one. That looks that only friends can give. The one that just exposes any secrets or thoughts to the other friend. _**The Look**_.

Rachel looked back to Percy, "Okay then… I'll get the… Mocha frappuccino please?"

Percy nodded, glancing at the register momentarily, "Size?"

"Medium." He looked up, trailing off for a second. Annabeth noticed his hand twitching a little, inching towards his front left jean pocket. "Uh… together or separate?" Annabeth swore she saw his jaw clench, but she was distracted when she saw Rachel's hand flash forward.

"No, Rachel. Do not. I will pay."

"No, you drove me here. Least I can do."

"But it is my café. I suggested it."

"You're saving me from my dad's lecturing. Please."

"No! I got this."

"No I do!"

Back and forth, back and forth. Vaguely, as they fought, Annabeth registered movement in the corner of her eyes, but did not pay it mind. After about ten minutes, she and Rachel froze as they heard Percy's voice ring out.

"Hey so… I made the drinks."

The two girls, in sync, turned their heads towards the counter. Sure enough, one latte, one frappuccino.

Rachel blinked and rubbed her forehead, "How long were we…"

Percy raised an eyebrow and glanced at the clock on the wall, "Uh… a while. Suggestion? Just pay for each other's drink. They're the same price."

It was in this moment Annabeth knew. She was hooked. She hated that she was. But she was. It was clear when she was discussing the architecutre the week before that he was not the smartest in terms of books and education. Yet, he clearly had a practical intelligence that was good for problem solving. She would not admit she was hooked. But looking back, she knew this was the moment.

The two girls looked a little sheepish at the barista before paying for the drinks and sitting down, drinks in hand. Once they sat down though, Annabeth wished they had not. When she saw Rachel's expression, she remembered. _**The Look**_.

"Spill."

**T-Minus Two Weeks Until School: In Which Percy Forgets To Breathe - Percy**

Percy flipped a metal steamer in the air before catching the handle with one hand. Spinning, he closed his eyes and flipped it behind his back. Seconds later, a splash followed by a thunk of the metal steamer hitting the bottom of the sink echoed through the café. He opened his eyes and bowed.

"Showoff." Frank grunted from his seat at the table behind the counter.

"Talent." Percy smirked, momentarily wondering if he was actually an annoying showoff before shaking it off and walking over to the sink to clean and rinse the steamer. His feet bounced to the beat of the music playing quietly in the empty café. His heart slowly began picking up steam, like a semi truck at a stop light. Slow to start racing, but once it was moving, it would be a long time until it stopped again. It was close to Annabeth's arrival for the day and the anxiety, mixed with happiness, started building.

Frank, being Frank, took notice, "Breathe, Perce."

Percy, not realizing he had been holding his breath, gave Frank a sheepish look before taking a long, deep breath.

Well… he started to. But then the door opened and Annabeth walked in, breathtakingly beautiful in his mind. Literally. His breath caught and he suddenly found himself struggling to breathe, coughs racking his body. He squatted down, coughing into his arm whilst simultaneously trying to catch his breath. _Smooth._

Cheeks flushing bright red, he looked up from his shoes and made the mistake of making direct eye contact with his orange soda. _Get it? Cause crush? Wow… that was honestly terrible Jackson. Don't ever, ever, make that pun again._ Annabeth's stormy grey eyes were filled with humor and a little concern.

Frank, being Frank, dashed over, as fast as a 6'9" 255lb 17 year old can dash, "Gosh dang it, Perce. I did say breathe!"

The rest of the day went decently well. Percy spent the rest of the summer beating himself over the head for the incident. Annabeth spent the rest of the summer thinking she would love to make Percy's face flush like that, but in a non-humiliated way.

**T-Minus One Week Until School: In Which Percy Blushes. A Lot. - Percy**

Percy handed the premade Irish Cream Latte to Annabeth the moment she stepped up to the counter. He did his best not to blush when he saw the way her eyes smiled, even if her lips didn't follow. "I knew you were coming in, plus work's slow as always this time of day. Figured I wouldn't make you wait." He shrugged nonchalantly, trying to be the cool player that he most definitely was 24/7.

Annabeth brought the cup to her lips and tasted it before responding, "Thank you." Her smile shone through her voice, again, not quite reaching her face, but everything else about her was smiling. "It is four dollars, right?" Annabeth reached into her purse, scrounging for some cash.

Percy shook his head, "No, it's okay. On me this time. End of summer gift." His mouth twitched into a smile as he felt his face heat up, heart racing like American Pharoah in 2015.

Annabeth looked down at the cup and then back up at Percy, "Again, thank you." Her eyes sparkled. It was weird to say that stormy grey eyes can sparkle, but hers did. It was like a sun shining down upon a dark raging sea. Oxymoronic, but devastantingly beautiful.

Percy's breath almost left him again. But, he had been doing breathing exercises over the last week. In an unhealthy way, he had obsessed over never choking on his own breath in front of Annabeth. _Thank God for anxiety. No, don't. That's dumb. Anxiety sucks. Sigh. I'm an idiot. _

Annabeth tilted her head, apparently noticing something in his demeanor. "Oh, speaking of summer ending, are you ready for school to begin?"

Percy's eyes widened and he dramatically backed up against the counter, "Oh no. God, no. Heck no. No."

Annabeth smirked, "Oh, I see. Do you hate school?"

Percy tapped the side of his temple, "Just not smart. Barely passing."

Annabeth gave him a small smile, "You know, I could help you out if you ever need it. Just let me know next time I see you in here, okay?"

_She thinks you're an idiot. _"Yo, seriously? Hey, that's awesome, thanks!" Percy's hand clenched around the fidget spinner. _What if I humiliate myself in front of her? Can't ever actually ask for help. Pretend you got it together. _

"Of course, no problem! I would hate not to see you here because you have to study too much." Raising her cup in a salute of good bye, Annabeth walked to her table and sat down to work. Percy's mind struggled to function properly after that last flirtatious comment.

An hour or so later, Annabeth threw her cup away before walking towards the door, "See you at school, Percy. Go Legion!"

Percy froze, "Wait… no… Go what now?"

Annabeth frowned, "Legion? That is our school nickname, right? The Legion? Like the Romans?"

Percy's eyes widened before he facepalmed, "Annabeth, you know, for a nerd, you're pretty unobservant sometimes." Noticing Annabeth's confused look, he continue on, "There's two schools. Ecclesia Prepatory Academy, the Legion, and Ecclesia Central, the Argonauts. I go to Central."

Annabeth's own eyes copied Percy's and she groaned, "I remember Rachel mentioning a second school… I just was not paying that much attention."

A beat.

Annabeth shrugged and her eyes looked up with a little bit of hope, "I will still see you around here though." It was more of a statement than a question.

Percy nodded, face flushing a little red again, "Y-yeah, of course. Always here."

Annabeth gave him a little wave and he tried not to watch her curls bounce around her head… too much. Hard not to watch them.

**First Week of School: In Which Annabeth Is Uncharacteristically Dumb - Annabeth**

_BRRING! BRRING!_

The final bell tolled throughout Ecclesia Prepatory Academy. Annabeth, normally a demure and quiet student, practically bolted from her chair. She blew right by Rachel calling out her name and headed for her car. She knew Percy worked in the afternoons on Wednesdays and she was in a rush to make sure she could catch him before he got off his shift.

Before she knew it, Annabeth had arrived in the parking lot of the café and quickly found a parking spot. She opened her door as she saw the now familiar sign of Demeter's Drinks. Against her better judgement, her mouth slowly grew into a small smile. Her normally neutral expression was replaced by one of small contentment and satisfaction. She blamed the barista boy entirely.

First, he made her drink way too well. She had tried ordering it at other coffee shops, but never had she found one as good as his. Secondly, he was just… charming and she slowly found herself becoming more and more intrigued by the boy. She did not want it to happen. She definitely never meant it to happen, but yet, she found herself looking forward more and more to her weekly visits to the café.

She could tell in the way the boy carried himself that he was at least familiar with, if not an active participant in, some sort of athletic activity. She did not know how, but there was this air about him that she recognized as a jock.

She knew her parents would never approve. She came from a strictly academic family. Additionally, she continually waited for him to make a move. His interest in her was… not subtle, to put it kindly. She caught his glances her way when he thought she could not see. She saw the way his hands would twitch whenever he was around her, clearly a sign of attraction and nerves. Yet, he never made a move.

She had an idea it was because of a possible anxiety disorder, but nothing of substance yet. He hid it well, she would give him that. Annabeth prided herself on being able to read people, even those who did their best to hide it. It was not a lot, but she would notice small things. Beneath that cocky jock attitude, there was a small hesitation in his movements, as if he were second guessing himself. She noticed the way his hand gravitated towards his pocket, playing with some sort of fidget toy to calm his nerves.

Then there were his eyes. They say the eyes are the windows to the soul. Annabeth noticed that there was almost a small speck of fear in his sea-green eyes. Again, he hid it beneath a cocky exterior, one of confidence and assuredness. But his eyes spoke volumes of his true personality. She did not quite know what they said, but they were not the eyes of a typical high school jock.

She thought of this all as she had drove on over to the café. When she arrived, she walked up to the door, a smile growing on her face in anticipation. But when she entered the café, the smile was immediately replaced by one of confusion.

Instead of her normal barista boy standing at the counter, a middle aged woman with dark brown hair and deep brown eyes stood in front of her. The woman smiled kindly, a slight southern accent noticeable in her words, "Hey there, sweetie. What can I do for you?"

Annabeth was momentarily at a loss for words and she tilted her head. It had been a while since she had to order a drink. Her barista boy normally just took care of it immediately, knowing what she wanted. "I'll uh… I'll take the Irish Cream latte. Medium please." What happened in response to her order was not something had expected, but considering the way the summer had been, she should have known to expect the unexpected.

The woman in front of her immediately lit up with a smile in front of her face, "Oh so you're the Irish Cream girl!"

Annabeth blinked. She blinked again. "I… Yes, I think so? What do you mean?"

The woman walked out from behind the counter and gave her a hug, "Sally mentioned that Percy was possibly in interested in someone!"

Annabeth, stuffed in a hug, did not quite known how to respond.

The woman released Annabeth and gave her a smile, "Sorry, sorry, dear. I'm Demeter, the owner of the café." She paused and winked, "I suppose you're here for Percy?"

Annabeth nodded her head slowly, "Nice to meet you." She felt her ears start to burn, "Yes. I am. Where is he?"

The now named Demeter tapped the side of her nose and winked again, "You go to the Prep school, right? Means you're a smart girl. Think about it."

Annabeth took exactly half a second before facepalming, "Oh I can be so dumb sometimes!" She pinched the bridge of her nose, "His schedule changed because work started, did it not?"

Demeter, failing at hiding a smirk, nodded, "There it is, sweetie. Now then, what's the next obvious question that you should ask his boss?" Demeter gestured to herself.

Annabeth grit her teeth to stop the blush that threatened to rise to her skin, "When does he work now?"

Demeter, very obviously smirking by this point, shrugged, "He just closes for me. Oh, and he works Saturdays." Then she gestured to a table by the window where a latte sat undisturbed, "Now then, Irish Cream girl, there's your latte. Do your homework. This one's on the house."

To say Annabeth's jaw dropped would be an understatement. "You… How'd you…" She trailed off, still in shock.

Demeter shrugged again, "I remember being your age. Now go drink that coffee before it gets cold. I'll be very offended if you need to come back up for a reheat."

The moment Annabeth sat down at her latte she resolved two things. 1. She would never get played by Demeter again. (She would fail, countless times, at this one.) 2. She would be returning on Saturday.

**AN: Y'all should honestly probably thank my girlfriend for this chapter being up. If it wasn't for her, I would've give up and lost interest in this a long, long time ago xD Nut she motivates and encourages me and it's definitely worth it. I love this story and I hope y'all do too. Favorite, follow, drop a review, all that good stuff please. It really helps me remember there's other people out there who are becoming invested in this too. Catch y'all next time!**

**Side Note: with a chapter split up in a way this one is, there's bound to be slight inconsistencies, please forgive me of those. I did my best, but I can't pick up every error. If it's something major, PM me and I'll explain/correct it if possible. Thanks! **


	8. Saturday Slip

**AN: Woah! He's alive! Who knew he could update the story? xD Sorry y'all. I could make a ton of excuses as to why I haven't updated the story until now, but I just… haven't? Heh. Sorry. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Saturday Slip**

**Annabeth's POV**

"You are not to hang around that whore Rachel any longer, Annabeth! She is not a good influence on you nor the family! Stay away." Susan's brown eyes flashed dangerously, two dark circles of unrelenting disdain and loathing.

Annabeth grimaced under the weight of the utter hatred coming from her step-mother, but she held her head high, her own stormy grey eyes of independence and righteous fury meeting Susan's. "Do not _ever_ call Rachel a 'whore', _Susan._" The final word was punctuated with a tone of absolute contempt.

A slow smirk crossed Susan's face, "Fine. Do not hang around that _slut_." Her teeth clicked together, emphasizing the final 't'.

Matthew and Bobby's POV

"Annabeth's eyes…"

"I know, dude…"

"Run?"

"Run."

The two boys took off outside to play basketball, hoping to avoid the sheer maliciousness radiating off the two women of the household.

Frederick Chase's POV

"Alright, this squad would go here. I think the planes would have launched from over…"

Frederick's head snapped up as he heard something. It disturbed the normally calm, soothing Bach that played through his speaker in his study. Frowning, he walked over to his laptop. _Beethoven? How did he get on here? Spotify's algorithm needs work._ A few button clicks later and once again, Bach played through his speaker.

"Now where was I? Oh right, planes…"

Annabeth's POV

_A lady should remain calm. Even when everyone else is trying to make her react negatively, she should remember to breathe. Do not lash out. Do not react angrily. Extract yourself from the situation._

Annabeth gritted her teeth together, turning on her heel and moving out of the room in a way usually used to describe her eyes: she stormed out. Ignoring Susan's look of victorious glee, the blonde teen snatched up her computer bag and walked right out to her car, bypassing her two step-brothers arguing over a possible foul call. They froze, very familiar with her expression. They had encountered a lot in the past, typically when a toilet exploded.

Annabeth sat down in her car, barely buckling her seatbelt before driving off, headed for Demeter's Drinks. It was Saturday. Not a Saturday that started off the best, but one she hoped would end a lot better. Thoughts barely seemed to move through her head as pure emotion raged. Annabeth was rather protective of her friends, even if she had not been raised in a household conducive to forming positive relationships with her peers. A comment like the one Susan made was completely unacceptable in Annabeth's eyes and she needed to see _him._

Yes, she just learned his name. Yes, they had not talked a whole lot in the grand scheme of things, but she just felt comfortable around him. She was not sure quite what it was, but he just helped her to relax. She hoped the shift change from Wednesday to Saturday would not cause the café to be too busy for him to talk with her.

**Percy POV**

_HOLY CRAP IT'S FRICKING BUSY! _Percy's eyes widened as the line just seemed to get longer and longer. He hadn't worked a Saturday in forever and he forgot how it would get. Luckily, he just had to take orders so far. He and Leo had flipped a coin to see who would take orders and who would make drinks. Leo was stuck on drinks and obviously frazzled, but Percy had no opportunity to help the poor teen.

Almost without any actual conscious thought, Percy tapped the buttons on his register, customizing each drink to each customer's preference. Of course, being super busy, they couldn't have really easy drink orders. They had to be highly unique. The mid-sixties woman couldn't order a simple small mocha latte. She had to order a half-caf, two pumps chocolate, one pump vanilla, all sugar-free with oat milk, steamed to exactly 121 degrees Fahrenheit small latte. The college-aged man couldn't order an earl grey tea. He had to order a medium split into two small cups London Fog with a pump of brown sugar lavender syrup (which of course Demeter doesn't keep on hand so poor Leo had to Macgyver something up that tastes like brown sugar lavender syrup) and almond milk.

Honestly, a busy café wasn't terrible overall though. Ignoring the amazing tips they got on the regular, the rush stopped him from thinking. Like, at all. It reminded him of when he was on the court and he just got tunnel vision and his mind processed information at a million times faster than normal. There wasn't time to stop and think. He couldn't get anxious when moving this fast. On the court, he was relaxed, decisive. Now moving in an automatic rhythm in the busy café, he felt that same zen-like feeling. Nothing stopped him. Anxiety seemed to vanish, reminding him of his care-free childhood.

Of course, that's when the flash of blonde princess curls at the end of the line stopped his flowing mind in its tracks. Like a locomotive smashing into a pure titanium wall, he stopped moving, finger hovering over an option of almond milk, oat milk, soy milk, skim milk, or normal milk. That's when the panic set in and his eyes met hers for a brief second. Her stormy grey eyes lit up a little like a sun breaking through the clouds after a tornado. His cheeks felt like the Sahara. _What is she even doing here? How'd she know? It's a Saturday. Not a Wednesday. Wait, it's Saturday, right? _He glanced at the clock. _Yup, Saturday. So… why?_

A small sting on the back of his head abruptly tore his attention away from Annabeth and her mysterious Saturday arrival and to the rubber spatula in Leo's hand.

"Dude! What the heck?"

Leo rolled his eyes, "Don't even think about 'what the heck'-ing me. Stop zoning. We've got customers." He tossed the spatula in the air before catching the handle and bopping Percy on the forehead, "Not just blonde ones." Percy's coworker and winked at Annabeth before smirking as he watched her flush slightly.

Percy glowered at Leo, "Get back to drinks, man. You don't want me coming at you during practice, do you?"

Leo rolled his eyes, "One-time occurrence."

"… you've said that the last five times."

Leo slapped Percy in the forehead with the spatula again.

A customer coughed, "As fun as this teen drama is, I have a six-hour drive ahead of me. Could I please get some caffeine?"

This time it was Leo and Percy who flushed slightly.

**Annabeth's POV**

She tried not to giggle, watching Leo and Percy interact with each other. Watching the slight competition between the two boys was… amusing. _Testosterone does amazing things._ When it came to her time to order, she smirked at the green-eyed boy slowly working his way into her heart. "I have to say, that was absolutely adorable."

Percy's face went from not-well hidden puppy dog excitement to the living definition of :| in about two seconds. Annabeth smirked harder, "Oh I am sorry. That was super masculine. Getting hit in the face with a spatula. Twice."

She watched his forearm muscles shift back and forth with curiosity. No. Not like that. _Did I make him anxious? _She pursed her lips slightly, before hearing his response.

Percy's voice shook her from the thought, "Got it. So extra syrup today, because you absolutely love as much sweetener as possible."

Annabeth gasped overdramatically, "Okay, okay, apologies. Do not add too much sweetener? Please?"

Percy spun the iPad register around and pointed to the notes on her drink, "Half sweetener. As always, princess."

A small smile twitched at the corner of Annabeth's lips as she handed the money for her drink over, "Thank you, Percy." He nodded and turned to the next customer as Annabeth found a small corner table, the last one available to work on her architectural blueprints. While she focused in and tried to distract herself with the calculations, a small part of her brain focused in on one small aspect of her interaction with Percy.

His voice had dropped. Not a lot. Not even a whole octave, but definitely a couple steps lower than normal. _I do not know what to make of it. Have I just not noticed his voice before? Is he potentially getting a cold? Or is it more? _

Her eyes moved from her screen when Percy brought her drink over to her table. Even with the rush of the day, Demeter's Drinks policy was to always bring the customer their drink at their table if they chose to dine-in. The pair's eyes locked. Annabeth searched for something to tell her about his thought process. Percy's eyes seemed guarded, shielded almost.

"Irish Cream, half the sweetener." Percy placed the drink down on the table, eyes dodging hers and staring over her shoulder. Under normal circumstances, someone might think he was looking at their face. Annabeth was too observant for that.

"Thank you." Annabeth gave him a small, comforting smile, watching his back as he returned to the counter. _He is not all together today. His voice was lower again. His eyes were more protected. Maybe the rush of the people is getting to him._

**Percy POV**

"DOWN GOES FRAZIER! DOWN GOES FRAZIER! DOWN GOES FRAZIER!" In 1973, famed sports announcer Howard Cosell screamed these words as George Foreman knocked then-undefeated Joe Frazier to the boxing mat in one of the most iconic boxing matches in sports history.

Why is this relevant? Well, Percy got a glimpse of the pain Joe Frazier must've felt on that mat after being knocked down for the final time in that match. His back was on the hard tile floor, his eyes open, staring at the ceiling. He vaguely heard Leo talking quickly, getting closer. His fingers twitched, muscles slowly testing the extent of the damage.

Percy hated coffee. He didn't think he'd need to repeat that. But when iced coffee spilled across the floor takes any remaining tread left on a beat-up pair of Converse and replaces it with Vaseline, it bore repeating. He noted Leo's face and blonde hair.

_Wait. His what? Leo definitely doesn't have blonde hair. _Percy squeezed his eyes shut before opening them and realizing that Leo was in fact Annabeth. _Right, cause Leo left earlier, like two hours ago. I'm closing the café._

_ Wait…_

_ She hasn't left yet?_

_ Wow… why in the world would she stay this late?_

_Oh, shoot, she just saw me… yup… that's unfortunate. Smooth athlete there, Percy._

He smiled up at Annabeth, meeting her stormy grey eyes filled with a worrying light. "Was your coffee okay, princess?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes, "How about we focus on your back? Then we can talk about my coffee."

Percy groaned and sat up, a jolt of pain rushing down his spine, "I'm fine, I promise. Not the first time I've hit a hard floor. Normally I'm going a lot faster, not gonna lie."

Annabeth looked slightly confused for a second before shaking her head, "It does not matter what you are used to. The fact is you still fell and hurt yourself. Do you think you will be alright?"

Neck crackling as he rolled it, Percy winced, trying to hide the pain in his voice, "Oh yeah, I'll be good. Already done something like this before in front of you." He got up onto his knees, jumping onto his feet from a kneeling position, and stood up, leaning against the counter for support.

The two of them stood toe to toe, mere inches the part. Definitely not socially distanced, not that this alternate universe had a certain virus, but y'know, _analogies_. Percy, the extremely tough and not easily embarrassed man that he was, flushed first and dropped his eyes, turning away and limping slightly towards the mop bucket.

He could feel Annabeth's concerned gaze drilling holes into his back, but he refused to make eye contact. A small annoyed sigh escaped her lips before she spoke, "Coffee was better than okay. It was not too sweet. Thank you."

Percy glanced up, giving a small bro-nod, "Yeah, no problem. Just doing my job."

**Annabeth POV**

_Boys. Are. Freaking. Idiots. _She shook her head as she started her car, an extremely explicit mental image of what she wanted to do to Percy against the counter of Demeter's Drinks that would make him flush so adorably red implanted in her brain.

**AN: Honestly, the difficulty in writing this chapter was figuring out exactly where to take it. I know exactly what scene I want to write in the next two chapters and I knew how I ended the last one with the summer time montage. The trick was figuring out how to bridge the two chapters together and so I ran into a bit of a writer's block. On the bright side, the next couple chapters should be out (relatively) soon? Maybe? If I can stay consistently motivated. Definitely less time between this and the next than this and the last one. Which isn't saying much, but y'know, still something. Anyway, leave a review, favorite, follow, all that good stuff and I'll catch y'all later! **


	9. Game Day - Percy

**AN: Well… it is technically shorter between chapters. This chapter is sort of a two parter. Game Day Part One will be from Percy's POV and Game Day Part Two will be from Annabeth's POV. I tried to cutback on some basketball terminology for the people reading this who aren't total basketball nerds like me. Sorry if some of it goes over your heads. Hope you enjoy!**

**Game Day – Percy**

_Some legends are told… Some turn to dust or to gold… But you will remember me… for centuries!_

Percy's eyes shot open, heart immediately beginning to race. His hand covered his phone to turn off the alarm set to Fall Out Boy. A grin slowly crossed his face as he literally rolled out of bed, his blankets wrapped around him like a cocoon, protecting him as he hit the floor. The smell of pancakes wafted through the apartment and into his room.

Why was Perseus Jackson happy to up early on a school day? Well, there could only be one true answer to this question.

_Game day._

Percy jumped off the floor, scrambling to his closet and grabbing his jersey, throwing it on over a hoodie. Most high schools had Friday Night Lights for the football season, but Ecclesia was a basketball town. The two schools in the city, Ecclesia Central and Ecclesia Prepatory Academy both boasted strong basketball programs, continually meeting each other in the playoffs for the state title. One spectacular tradition the city held was the game between the two schools. Every year, without fail, the first game of the season would be played between the Argonauts and the Legion. The last two years, the Legion had won the opening games decisively, led by their duo of Jason Grace and Octavian Attero. The last time Central had won, Beckendorf was still a senior and Percy was a freshman, playing for the JV team.

"Percy! Breakfast!" His mom's voice rang through the apartment, jolting Percy out of his thoughts.

Black hair a disjointed mess, Percy grabbed his already packed bag and practically sprinted to the breakfast table. On the table sat heaven on a plate: blueberry pancakes, dyed blue, topped with blue sprinkles and blue whipped cream. Heaven.

Sally groaned when she saw Percy and his hair, "Percy. Hairbrush. Now."

Percy sat down and began eating, "Mom. Food. Yum."

Sally then did something dangerous. She took the fork from Percy as he ate. Anyone else would've lost their head. But it was his mom and Percy was a momma's boy. Now it was his turn to groan as he walked back to his room to brush his unruly mess of hair. A few tangles and many pancakes later, the hyped up basketball star was on his way to school.

"Yo Perce!" Percy turned right before walking in the school doors, grinning as he saw Frank trot up in his own jersey, identical to Percy's in every way but the number and last name. Side five, palm slide, fist bump, finger tap, wiggle wiggle, elbow, fist again, hand, back of hand, and a list of other movements as the two performed a rather complicated handshake that no one but Percy and Frank could follow. No words were spoken after Frank's greeting. Just a mutual understanding and comfort followed as the two ventured into the halls of Ecclesia Central High School.

English, Period Seven

Percy rolled his neck, eyes never leaving the clock above the door. His heel bounced up and down as he counted the seconds until he could burst out the door and head to the locker room. _C'mon… two minutes… let's go. Almost there. _His fingers started twitching in anticipation, heart beginning to race. Adrenaline slowly pumped through his system. _One minute forty five seconds!_

"Percy! Would you mind explaining to the class how Emerson's ideas helped to bring about the restart of the abolitionist movement in the mid-19th century?" To say Percy experienced whiplash would be an understatement.

Whiplash, according to , is a noun meaning 'an abrupt snapping motion or change of direction resembling the lash of a whip'. Here it references the extreme change in direction Percy's mind had to take in order to catch up with what his English teacher was saying.

Eyes slowly shifted from the clock to the friendly face of his teacher. "I…" Percy blinked. His teacher blinked. Percy blinked again. His teacher blinked again. _I really zoned out. I have no idea what I'm supposed to say. What the heck. Come up with something! But what? Asdlfhasl;dfjasdlfkjasldkfja!_

"Well… I think that… uh… well y'know, how like… Emerson… he put some of his thoughts down…" _He's an author? I think? _"On paper! Yeah, on paper. And those ideas probably might've moved around a lot in early America? And so… it kinda…"

The bell rung.

Percy grinned, sighing with relief. He grabbed his bag and dashed out the room. However, his teacher had other plans. Halfway to the door, the basketball star heard his English teacher say, "Hey, Percy."

Percy froze in mid-stride, turning his head to look at his teacher, "Yes, Mr. Blofis?"

His normally friendly and soft spoken teacher's demeanor shifted to a rather intimidating glare. "Humiliate Attero tonight, will you?"

Immediately straightening up and turning completely to look at Mr. Blofis, Percy grinned and gave him a small salute, "Yessir!"

Mr. Blofis gave a small smile and nod before waving Percy and the rest of the class out of the room.

Sprinting down the halls, Percy navigated the crowds of people, bringing to light his natural athleticism and ability to avoid contact. A spin past a group of boys, a side step around a couple girls, and a hurdle over a kid bending down to tie their shoelace all happened in quick succession before he found himself safe and in the locker room.

Obviously, he was the first one. No one ever beat Percy to prepare for gametime. No one ever left after Percy once the game was done. Same with practice. Basketball was Percy's obsession. For better or for worse, he gave his whole being to the sport. Quickly, Percy changed into his game uniform before throwing a zip-up hoodie and sweatpants over the top of everything.

Percy immediately marched right to his coach's offices and knocked on the door. Without even a pretense at waiting for a response, he threw open the door and slammed his hands square on his coach's desk.

Coach Hedge looked up, startled. The stocky man began opening his mouth, about to ask what Percy wanted. However, before the coach could even form the first word, Percy spoke three simple words.

"Give. Me. Attero."

Now, Coach Hedge was not an easily intimidated or impressed man. He had seen a lot in his years as a high school basketball coach. Even before stopping to coach this team, he had done all sorts of things in his life. However, with life experience also came wisdom. His instinct, when he heard Percy's demand, was to laugh it off or reassure the kid to trust the gameplan and focus on what they had discussed all off-season leading up to this game. But when he made eye contact and saw a fire raging in those sea-green eyes, he decided to give the senior the benefit of the doubt.

Coach Hedge took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair, his gruff voice speaking softly, "Alright kid. Let's say I do this and let you cover Attero all game. Who takes Grace? And why do you want Attero?"

Percy didn't move. For once in his life, not a single muscle twitched. All anxiety flew out the window as his competitive fire drove him forward. "Attero cooked us all game last season except for the fourht quarter when I started singling him out on the fast break. I'm taller and longer than he is, with the quickness to keep up. You know as well as I do that I'm the best goddamn defender on this team. Move Stoll to DiAngelo and have Valdez take Grace. I've had to cover Grace since we were kids, I know Valdez can do it."

Hedge smirked at Percy's analysis. "Thought about this a lot?"

A sharp nod from Percy.

"Good, I'm glad. That's why you're the captain. One question though. The size difference from Grace to Valdez. I'm sure Stoll can take DiAngelo. The height difference isn't that bad. But Valdez is giving up at least a half of foot to Grace and a good sixty pounds. He'll get bullied all over the place."

Percy finally shifted. He straightened up and shook his head, "No. He won't. All Valdez has to do is harrass Grace on the perimeter and the funnel him into Zhang and Gambrell."

"Think Gambrell can handle that? He's still a freshman."

"Grace loves to drive and kick. When he sees the two of them standing there, most likely he'll pass the ball back out to someone else."

Hedge breathed out slowly. Percy's fingers began tapping on his thigh while he waited for his coach's response. After a few moments, Hedge brought his own eyes to meet Percy's, "He's all yours, kid. Give him hell."

Percy smirked, "Yessir."

Announcer POV – Game Time

"Hello folks and welcome to tonight's coverage of everybody's favorite game: the classic rivalry matchup between Ecclesia Central High School and Ecclesia Preparatory Academy. I am Paul Blofis and today I'm joined in the booth by former Ecclesia Central forward, Charles Beckendorf. How're you doing today, Charles?"

"I'm doing great, Paul. Thanks for having me."

"Of course. Now, this is, as always, a fantastic matchup between two of the best teams in the state. What are both team's keys for success in this matchup?"

"Well, I have to start with my bias and my team, the Central Argonauts. We all know of Percy Jackson's abilities both on offense and defense. He will be the star for that team. But I think the X-Factor will truly lie in Tyson Gambrell. He's a freshman and starting on this varsity squad. Obviously the coach and team has trust in him to be able to play as young as he is, but he is matched up with one of the top rated centers in the country in Michael Kahale. Hopefully he is up for the task."

"Yes it is pretty unique to have someone starting this young, especially in such a big game. Honestly, I can't remember the last time a freshman did start for Ecclesia Central. Can you?"

A laugh. "No, Paul, that was definitely before my time."

A chuckle. "Alright, Charles, how about the Prepatory Academy? What's their key tonight?"

"Ugh, as much as it pains me, I do suppose I should give them a fair shot on air." A chuckle. "Octavian Attero is going to be huge in this game for the Legion. Last year, he absolutely torched the Argonauts to the tune of 37 points on close to 80% shooting percentage from the field. He should be covered by the same man in Travis Stoll, who is a good defender, but obviously not enough to stop Attero. If Attero gets cooking, I don't see how the Legion can lose this game."

"Great analysis, Charles. It's always great to have someone like you here in the booth with me to provide that in-depth analysis. I believe the teams are ready so here are your starting line-ups, sponsored by Zhang's Mansion, your home for authentic Chinese cuisine with a loving touch."

Paul Blofis looked down at his sheet, "Alright, folks. For the visiting Ecclesia Central High School Argonauts, they will have Travis Stoll, a junior, at point guard. Leo Valdez, first year starting and a sophomore, will join him in the backcourt as the shooting guard. Percy Jackson, obviously, will be the starting small forward with Frank Zhang starting at the power forward position, both of them are seniors. The aforementioned Tyson Gambrell will be the center, rounding out the starters."

A beat passed.

"Now for the home team, the Ecclesia Prepatory Academy Legion. All-state and considered by many to be one of the top point guards in the country, Octavian Attero is playing his final year, starting for the fourth year in a row. His backcourt mate will be junior Nico DiAngelo. The small forward position is filled by Jason Grace, another senior. The Legion's big men will be Will Solace, a junior, and Michael Kahale, also a junior, at the power forward and center positions respectively."

Charles stepped in. "This game, as always, kicks off the season for both of these schools with a bang. The last two season openers have gone to the Legion and they definitely have the experience on their side. The Argonauts are starting a freshman and a sophomore so it will be interesting if they can keep this game close."

Percy POV

Percy and his teammates stood in a circle in front of their bench. The clock on the scoreboard slowly ticked down the final minutes before tip-off. Coach Hedge knelt in the middle of the circle, his clipboard firmly in hand.

"Alright, cupcakes, just remember to get out there and play. Do your best, don't do anything stupid. Find your shots, take them. No hesitation. Kick ass." With that overwhelmingly motivational speech, Hedge walked back to his spot on the bench. While most would think that was a rather bizarre way to hype up the team, the trained eye noticed the small nod and brief eye exchange he had with his star player.

Percy's eyes seemed to glint in the harsh light of the indoor basketball court as he took Hedge's place and knelt. Any other situation, Percy would hardly be able to talk. His mind would freeze. He would blush and stammer. But not now. This was basketball. His love for the game far surpassed any thoughts of hesitation or overthinking. On one knee, the now incredibly confident teen looked up at his teammates and began to speak.

"Right here, gentlemen. Right here. Right now. This is the Legion's home court. They beat us on ours last year. Let's take theirs. When we win this…" He paused. "When, not if, but when we win this game, we will celebrate by jumping on their logo right over there." He pointed to the SPQR logo on the middle of the basketball court. "This game is ours."

Percy stood up and the team touched their fists together. "This game is the last opener I've got with this team. I know I'll be playing my absolute hardest. Can I count on you to support me?"

A chorus yell of "YEAH!" rang across the floor.

Percy grinned, "I'm glad. Brotherhood on three. 1. 2. 3."

As one, a wave of sound echoed louder than the previous 'yeah'. "**BROTHERHOOD**!"

The five starters split off to the court, meeting the Legion's starters at halfcourt. Percy turned to the four guys with him. "I'll take Attero. Travis, take DiAngelo."

A nod from Travis.

"Leo."

Leo locked eyes with Percy.

"You've got Jason. And before you speak, yeah, I know he's got height on you. We all got your back. Stay low, disrupt his dribble. Stay on him like a coffee stain on white jeans."

Leo's eyes shifted from a panic to a hardened stare, "I got you, Perce.

"Alright, let's do this. First person to score gets a coffee on me during finals week."

The team let out a chuckle before taking their positions.

Tyson stood in the halfcourt circle, across from Michael Kahale for the tip off. The referee walked to the middle with the ball. "Alright, gentlemen, I know this game can get tense and little rough sometimes, but let's keep it clean today." The referee blew the whistle and the game began.

Announcer POV

"Honestly, Charles, I am stunned."

"Me too, Paul, me too."

"For those listeners at home who may have missed the game or are just tuning in… the Argonauts absolutely destroyed the Legion. The final score rests at 82-46. Charles… I'm at a loss and don't know where to start. None of us saw this score coming at all. What do you think was the key for the Argonauts' victory today?"

"It started with the defensive intensity. The Argonauts made a move no one saw coming, moving Percy Jackson, their best defender, onto Octavian Attero. Obviously, as you know Paul, Attero is possibly the best scorer we've seen come through Ecclesia. Jackson completely shut him down. Attero only finished with two points, off of free throws. He shot 0/12 with no assists. Jackson completely eliminated him from the game."

"And that doesn't fill in the whole box score for Jackson though, does it, Charles?"

"No, not at all. Percy Jackson also finished with 24 points, 7 assists, and 13 rebounds. He played confidently and aggressively. Honestly, probably could've done a lot more damage if he didn't get into foul trouble halfway through the fourth quarter."

"You can't imagine the scene in the visitor's locker room right now, can you? The Argonauts must be going crazy."

Percy POV

"HELLLL YEAHHHHH!"

Soaked. From head to toe. Like a scene at Niagara Falls. Except with Cool Blue Gatorade and not water. Percy should have seen it coming. Every team did it after a huge game. As soon as the rest of the team collectively released the exclamation, Percy turned to grin and gree them, only for his face to get rocked with the blue liquid. Spluttering and trying to clear his eyes, Percy then hit the ground.

The whole team dogpiled on top of him, crowing in victory and pride. Percy couldn't help but laugh. This was it. This was his home. Everything else disappeared. He needed these guys and they needed him. It was… special.

Eventually, the rush of adrenaline and dopamine subsided and congratulations went around in a slightly calmer fashion. Not exactly calm, but as calm as hormone fueled teenage guys can get after winning a competition. Coach Hedge presented the game ball to Percy.

That's when his team started chanting for a speech.

Waving his hands to settle them down, Percy grinned. "Hey, guys, that was a good game. Great way to start the season. But I don't get this ball. Y'all should do it. I only stopped one guy, you guys did all the rest."

The team started booing.

Percy chuckled, "Fine. What do you want me to say? That was all me? I'm the greatest player alive? Jordan and Lebron got nothing on me?"

The team released their own chuckles at this.

"Okay but seriously. This was a huge team win, but we still got at least 24 games to play. Well, probably more because we're definitely going to the playoffs and the title game this year!"

The shouts of victory and overconfidence picked up all over again and Percy got lost in the high of the victory. It was a good day.

Saturday Afternoon – A Day After the Game

"PERCY JACKSON!"

Percy's head whipped up as he heard Annabeth scream his name from the entrance. His eyes widened. Her face was fierce, eyes flashing. It wasn't quite anger, but it was definitely… intense. _Well… I'm in trouble._

Annabeth stormed straight up to the counter, slamming her palms down on the top of it. She leaned forward, her nose inches away from his own. He couldn't stop himself from glancing down at her lips, then back to her eyes. His eyes then decided to play ping-pong between said lips and eyes. Well… they did until…

"Why the hell did you never mention that you played basketball and that you are absolutely brilliant at it?"

_Yup… definitely in trouble._

**AN: Part Two in Annabeth's POV should be out relatively soonish. Finals just wrapped up for me, so I should have some extra time to write. But… it is the holidays so you never really know. Please favorite, follow, review, all that good stuff. It's greatly appreciated. Til next time!**


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